Phone Calls to Gwen
by OwlMay
Summary: Peter promised to Gwen's father that he would keep her out of his dangerous life. But sometimes he just needs to hear her voice. These are the phone calls that Peter makes to Gwen. Some are good while some take a turn for the worst. Rating could change. Set after the Amazing Spider-Man movie.
1. One

_**Note: **I have no idea why I'm writing this. I had been contemplating on writing fanfiction for the Amazing Spider-Man after seeing the movie and this is just what I finally came up with. I'm not sure if I will just keep this a one-shot or not. If enough people in the reviews say that they want it to be a series, then it shall be a series! So that means you all should probably review(:_

_**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own the Spider-Man comics or the movies. If I did, Gwen never would have died in the comics.  
_

* * *

Peter Parker stared at his cell-phone, pondering if it was really a good idea to call Gwen Stacy. He had made a promise to her father that he would keep Gwen out of his dangerous life. It was his dying wish. And that was the only thing about being Spider-Man that really made Peter upset. Spider-Man would always have villains. It was kind of a package deal. And if any one of them ever found out that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, they would immediately go right to Gwen and try to hurt her in order to cause distress to him. Peter knew he couldn't risk that. But there was a part of him that told him to go against Captain Stacy's promise. Peter even hinted at going against it while in class with Gwen. Though after that he never talked to the love of his life again. And it _broke his heart._

Slowly Peter grabbed the phone and punched in Gwen's number. Then skeptically he put the phone up to his ear. All he wanted to hear was her sweet, soft voice. And when she answered, surprisingly, Peter lost his breath.

_"Hello?"_ Gwen sounded almost mad. Her voice was cold and harsh. Peter pursed his lips, wondering if he should just hang up. But he knew that Gwen knew it was him. He didn't want to seem like a chicken.

"G-Gwen?" Peter asked slowly. "It's Peter. Peter Parker."

Gwen chuckled over the line, actually. _"I'm familiar with you. Why are you calling me, Peter? I thought you promised to my...father that you were going to stay away from me." _Peter could hear the hurt in her voice. It made him feel like shit. How could he hurt her like that?

"Well, I'm not actually near you. I'm calling you over a phone. It's been a while since we've talked. And I guess I just needed to hear your voice, Gwen. You do know that I'm just trying to respect your father's wishes, right? I didn't mean to hurt you at all when I said I couldn't talk to you anymore." Peter could have gone on babbling for much longer, but he didn't want to sound like an idiot. So many things went through his mind. He wanted to know how her family was doing with the recent loss of Captain Stacy. Though he could already guess that they were still trying to cope with it. Peter still hadn't forgiven himself for letting him die like that.

Gwen sighed. _"I know, Peter. And I forgive you for that. But I love you. I want to be with you. I don't care if I get put into your dangerous life. Maybe I want to be apart of it."_

"You can't be apart of it, Gwen. What if you died too? I would never be able to live with myself if that were to happen." Peter didn't want to imagine loosing her like that. It was hard enough knowing Captain Stacy died because of him. Gwen couldn't be apart of any of that. It wasn't where she was supposed to be.

_"Don't you love me?"_

"Of course I love you, Gwen." Peter now was beginning to choke up on his words. On the other end he could hear Gwen beginning to sob lightly. He hated making her cry. "I don't want you to get hurt. Can't you understand that?"

It took Gwen a few seconds to reply to Peter. _"I understand."_

"I should get going, Gwen. You know, homework and saving people from evil villlains." He tired his best to laugh, but all that came out was an awkward choke. "Bye." Peter almost hung up the phone, but Gwen quickly spoke to him.

_"Are you going to call me again?"_

Peter pursed his lips and hung up the phone.


	2. Two

_**Note: **Surpringly I decided to write another chapter. Thanks to everyone to added this to their alerts and favorites, it's meant a lot to me. Huge thanks to arinhellmelleide and Kissxo for reviewing and pointing out spelling errors. You've all made me very happy! And you know what would be even better? If lots of you reviewed this chapter because it would make me oh so happy(: I also would like ideas for future chapters! And I would just like to say that the lovely Sleeping With Sirens also helped me write out this chapter. Their love songs are incredible._

_**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own the Spider-Man comics or movies. -begins to sob-_

* * *

Gwen stared at her phone, tears streaming down her face when she realized Peter had hung up on her. Her mind began to think quickly with also the image of punching Peter in the face replaying in her mind over and over. She wanted to be with him, but he just _had _to promise her now late father that he would keep her out of his 'dangerous life'. Gwen knew how dangerous his new life was and she didn't care. All she wanted was to stay right by his side through everything that he was going through. If he loved her, then why couldn't he just break this one promise for her? Gwen knew her father just wanted her to be safe and not have the same fate that he had, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. Gwen was growing up, able to take care of herself now. She didn't need to be avoided by Peter in order to keep her out of danger. If she was able to survive everything with the Lizard then she could survive _anything. _

And for the next two weeks, staring at her phone had become a habit for her. A few times Peter had called but then hung up when Gwen quickly answered the phone. Her heart would sink when she heard the beeping over the line. Then she would practically slam her phone on her desk and begin to scream in her head about how much she hated Peter. Yet she loved him so much. Gwen wondered to herself how Peter was able to stay away from her. At school she often caught him looking at her from across the hallway. Then he would quickly turn away and walk towards his next class. It took all of Gwen's strength to restrict herself and not run up to Peter.

Saturday night Gwen was staring at her phone, as usual, when it began to vibrate. Peter's name showed up on the caller I.D., making her heart soar. Quickly she reached for it answered it. It took her a few moments to choke out words. "H-hello?"

_"Hi, Gwen," _Peter said awkwardly over the line. _"How are you? It's once again been a while since we talked." _Gwen could tell he was struggling to get words out. It made her smile a little. He always was a little, er, socially awkward.

"I've been good, Peter. What about you? There hasn't been much crime in the city for you." Gwen had more questions lined up, but she limited herself to just that one. She knew that the conversation wouldn't last long. But she wasn't going to let him hang up on her again. The last time he did that it was too painful for her. And Gwen now felt as if it was her turn to hang up on him. Though she couldn't bring herself to do so. She needed to hear his soft voice.

Peter said, _"I'm good. And yeah, the city has been quiet ever since the Lizard incident. All I've done is stop a few store robbers and that's it." _There was a few minutes of awkward silence. _"You've looked sad at school, Gwen. How are you coping with...your loss?" _

After the death of her father, Gwen had tried to just forget about it. But it was hard to ignore the empty seat at the head of the table where her father used to sit. Her mother was awfully impacted, too. She barely got out of bed some mornings and was practically forced to get up to make breakfast. Gwen's brothers were also having a hard time at first, but they soon seeemed to adjust to it all. Gwen was the one who pretended like it had never happened. She went on with her life.

"I'm doing okay. I'm going on with my life." Gwen could only choke out those short sentences. Her legs felt like jell-o when she stood up from her computer chair. She headed towards her window, wishing that Peter would be sitting outside of it. Her heart sunk into her stomach once again. "I would be doing better if you were with me, though." When she got those words out her heart then climbed up to her throat, forming a big lump. It became hard for her to swallow.

_"I should go," _Peter said after a few moments of silence.

"No. Keep talking to me, please." Gwen felt so stupid as she began to beg for Peter to stay on the line. "Please. Don't hang up again."

_"Bye, Gwen."_

"Please call me again."

There was a beep on the other end.

Gwen dropped her phone to the floor.


	3. Three

_**Note: **So I just downloaded LibreOffice and so far it's pretty cool! Fanfiction recommended it. But anyways, thanks again to everyone to added this story to their alerts and favorites. And thanks so much to Kissxo, arinhelmelleide, JexxTheScribe, Sally Fantastic, and KayMoon24 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys said the last one was sad so I'm tried my best to make this one a bit more...happier. So remember to leave a review if you want to make me happy(:_

_**Disclaimer: **I still don't own the Spider-Man comics or movies. If only I did..._

* * *

Peter felt like a complete jerk when he hung up on Gwen like that. It broke his heart when she began to beg for him to stay on the line. He didn't want to keep the conversations too long, though. All he needed was just to hear her voice for a few minutes and then he would be okay. But he knew that Gwen wasn't okay with that. She wanted a long conversation that he couldn't give her because he was a jerk. A _huge _jerk. Somehow Peter wanted to make it all up to her. But how was he supposed to do that without actually talking to her in person? He knew phone calls weren't going to cut it anymore, too, if he kept trying to keep his promise to Captain Stacy. Peter had to do at least something nice for Gwen. And that's when he got his idea.

He swung through the city fast without his Spider-Man costume on. Peter knew he was too high up for anyone to actually see his face. Then once he was just a few blocks away from the store he landed on a rooftop. Slowly he climbed down the wall and into an alleyway. The sun was just now setting and there was a cool spring breeze. It tousled his hair as he skateboarded down the sidewalk. When he reached the store Peter bought dark red roses and handed the cashier ten dollars. They smelled beautiful and Peter knew that Gwen would just love them.

When he reached her window after climbing the fire escape in just a minute, he set the flowers against it and put the note inside. Peter got his phone out of pocket slowly. When he dialed the number he jumped down a few levels but still had a good view of Gwen's window. She answered after three rings, making Peter smile a little.

"_Hello?" _Gwen sounded a little angry when she answered. Well, Peter couldn't blame her. He had hung up on her numerous times. It was surprising to him that she was actually still answering his calls.

"Gwen!" Peter said a little to excitedly. "Um, open up your window." He looked up at the window, the smile on his face getting bigger. Peter couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw the flowers. "Now." Peter hung up the phone.

The window opened and Gwen stuck her head outside of it. She looked to her left, her right, and then looked down. Her face lit up when she saw the beautiful red roses. Slowly Gwen grabbed them, holding them close to her chest. She looked around desperately for Peter. When she was almost looking in Peter's direction, he ducked down quickly so he wouldn't be seen. He snuck another peak up at the window. It was closed and Gwen was back inside her room.

Peter jumped down from the levels and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He hoped that Gwen was at least a little bit happier now. His love for her was strong and he hoped that her love for him would keep running strong too.

* * *

Gwen almost gasped when she saw the flowers outside her window. She picked them up and then looked around for Peter. He had to have been close. It took all of her strength to not jump out of her window and try to find him. But Peter was agile and swift in movements, he would be already miles away from her before she even got down from the fire escape. Gwen put her head back inside her room and turned away from the open window. There was a note inside the beautiful bouquet of roses.

_My Dearest Gwen,_

_I'm not good at these kinds of things. Just know that I still love you. The phone calls to you may not show that, but I'm only trying to keep your father's promise. I don't know what I would do if I were to loose you, Gwen. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Hope you like the flowers._

_-Peter Parker (Bug Boy)_

Gwen shook her head with a giggle escaping her mouth. He was such a dork, but he was _her _dork even if he wasn't allowed to be around her.


	4. Four

_**Note: **Holy massive amount of reviews. DarthZ, Sally Fantastic, XxScarlettRosexX, arinhelmelleide, NegligibleNaina, and Anonymous have made me so happy! You all have brought along this chapter, so be happy about that! This chapter might be a bit sad, so just a heads up! Alrighty, don't forget to review(:_

_**Disclaimer: **-Sigh- I still don't own Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield is so adorable.._

* * *

Soon the beautiful red roses that Peter got Gwen began to die. Gwen couldn't bring herself to throw them out, though. After the night he brought them to her, he didn't call her again. Every time she looked at the now dieing flowers she hoped that her phone would begin to ring. It never did, though. At school he was barely at his locker, obviously trying to avoid even being just a few feet away from her. He stopped sitting behind her in class and sat at the other end of the room. They never had those days when they would make eye contact for a split second. When Gwen looked up from her textbook he would be either sleeping or reading his textbook. Gwen wanted to so badly to just build up the courage to approach him. But she kept thinking that he would just walk away without even greeting her or anything. Gwen always felt like an idiot when she stared at her phone when she sat alone in her room. Peter wasn't going to talk to her again, it seemed like.

Wednesday evening was a deary one. It thunder stormed and the wind blew violently. Gwen stayed cooped up in her room, staring at her computer screen and trying to focus on the one thousand word essay on Shakespeare that she had to write. The assignment was assigned the week before and was due the next day. It wasn't like Gwen to put off something like that. Her concentration was shot, though, thanks to Peter Parker. Her grades slowly began to slip and when her mother asked why, Gwen said she was so off her game because of her father's death. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. Gwen hated using her father's death as an excuse, but she couldn't just say that Peter stopped talking to her because he's Spider-Man.

Gwen walked downstairs, giving up on trying to write the essay. The news was playing on the living room T.V., and she decided to take a peak at it. Immediately on the screen she saw Spider-Man fighting off some man on a flying green surfboard. Her heart sunk into her stomach and her face went white, as if she had just seen a ghost. She stumbled to the couch and sat down, fixating her eyes on the wide T.V. screen. Spider-Man, or Peter, wasn't doing too good. The man on the green surfboard was throwing punches left and right as he swooped down. He was also throwing what seemed to be razors at Peter, getting him in the stomach and arms. Gwen couldn't watch it anymore. She had to retreat back to her room.

* * *

Peter clumsily fell onto a rooftop, trying his best to catch his breath. His arms and stomach were oozing blood, making it hard for him to even take a step. Pain was washing over him, making him groan in pain as he dug into his backpack to grab out his phone. Peter was still dressed in the Spider-Man outfit, but removed the mask so he could get some fresh air. All he wanted to do was talk to Gwen. He knew she would have seen the news that showed him fighting the Green Goblin. It would have scared the living daylights out of Gwen, and he just wanted to make sure she wasn't freaking out too much. Plus it had also been a few weeks since he had dropped the flowers off at her house. All he wanted to do was hear her voice.

The phone ran one, twice, three times before Gwen answered it. _"Peter?"_

"Hey, you," he said in a low tone. "How have you been doing, Gwen? I bet the flowers are dying now. I hope you liked the roses. You never told me what your favorite type of flower is so I winged it." Peter quickly stopped himself from babbling for too long. He decided to cut right to the chase. "So did you see the news?"

"_You scared me half to death. Are you okay now? Do you need to come over to get cleaned up?" _Gwen's voice was so hopeful and Peter hated bursting her bubble.

"You know I can't come over. And I'm okay. I just wanted to make sure you weren't freaking out too much." Peter chuckled a bit, trying to not sound like a jerk.

There was a moment of silence. Gwen was the one to break it. _"I can't do this anymore, Peter. I can't keep hoping that you're going to call me and tell me you're going to break the promise. It's just not good for me anymore. Peter, don't call me anymore."_

"W-what?" Peter choked out. He pinched himself. Nope, not dreaming. "You don't want me to call you anymore?"

"_I can't do this anymore. Bye, Peter."_

Peter looked down at his phone, wondering what the heck just happened.


	5. Five

_The amount of reviews is just amazing. XxScarlettRosexX, Pektv, Fanboy123, Anonymous, Anonymous, Nicci, negroid, TheWallCrawler, xobeautifulyou, and David G. Fitzpatrick have all helped bring along this chapter. Seriously, it's amazing knowing that a lot of you are just loving this story. I'm having loads of fun writing it. And one of my reviewers said that I was focusing too much on Gwen and Peter and that there should be more of a plot with a villain. Well, I didn't really want to make it an action fic. It's mostly drama, angst, and romance. There are going to be mentions of villains, but they won't go in depth. Just wanted to clear that up. So here's chapter five! Be sure to leave a review if you love me(:_

"_Dear Child" by Anthony Green helped me write this chapter. _

_**Disclaimer: **Yup, still don't own Spider-Man. Oh boy, but things would be pretty interesting if I did._

* * *

Peter waited two weeks to call Gwen again. At school she stopped trying to make eye contact with him and instead just walked away as quickly as he could when he went to his locker, which was right across from his. Now he really regretted being so rude to her over the phone. Gwen was fed up with him and was done with him. The words she said to him over the phone that day were still ringing in Peter's head. He now knew what if felt like to be in her position. All he wanted to do was keep her safe and _this _was how she repaid him. No, he couldn't blame her for all of this. Peter was the bad guy in this situation. He always was, it seemed like. All he could do now was try to make things right.

As he sat in his room on a Friday night, he looked down at his phone. He knew that if he would to try and call Gwen she would just ignore his call. She even said that she didn't want to speak with him anymore. But Peter wasn't going to take no for an answer. So when he called her and she didn't answer, he decided to leave a voicemail for once.

"Hello, Gwen," he choked out through deep breaths. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk. You just don't understand that I'm trying to keep you safe. I know you probably hate me now. But I love you, Gwen Stacy. Don't you ever forget that, alright? Always know that I'm thinking about you. Everyday at school I want to go over and hug you, tell you everything is going to be alright. I can't do that, though. It won't be safe for you. But I still need to hear your voice so I can get through the day. That's why I keep calling you. You know I can never just throw you out of my life. It's impossible. I'll never be able to do it. Just understand that I'm only doing because I love you. I can't stress that enough, love. Spider-Man is always going to have enemies. Okay, I feel like I'm just talking in circles or something. Call me back, Gwen. You probably think I'm so...stupid for talking like this so fast and I probably sound so erratic but just-"

The voicemail was cut off.

"Crap," Peter whispered.

* * *

Gwen walked into her room late Friday evening after seeing a movie with her mother. It felt good to finally get her mom out of the house since the death of her dad. Her mom was finally getting used to not having her husband around. Everyone seemed to be doing better now. Her brothers had learned to accept everything. But no one dared to sit in the seat that George used to sit. It was a little weird seeing the open seat. Actually, it was extremely weird. Whenever Gwen walked into dining room she wanted to ask her dad how work was, but her heart always sunk when she realized he wasn't there. Maybe she wasn't going to get used to things as quickly as the others.

Her phone began to buzz, indicating that she had a voicemail. Gwen furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and called her voicemail. The woman spoke to her, making the small blonde impatient. Finally, the voicemail actually began.

"_Hello, Gwen," _Peter said awkwardly over the line. Gwen's heart began to race when she heard his voice, but she began to let her excitement die down when she remembered how upset she was with him._ "I'm sorry for being such a jerk. You just don't understand that I'm trying to keep you safe. I know you probably hate me now. But I love you, Gwen Stacy. Don't you ever forget that, alright? Always know that I'm thinking about you. Everyday at school I want to go over and hug you, tell you everything is going to be alright. I can't do that, though. It won't be safe for you. But I still need to hear your voice so I can get through the day. That's why I keep calling you. You know I can never just throw you out of my life. It's impossible. I'll never be able to do it. Just understand that I'm only doing because I love you. I can't stress that enough, love. Spider-Man is always going to have enemies. Okay, I feel like I'm just talking in circles or something. Call me back, Gwen. You probably think I'm so...stupid for talking like this so fast and I probably sound so erratic but just-"_

Gwen rolled her eyes when the message got cut-off. Did Peter really think sending just a voicemail was going to make things better? She wanted a hug from him. No, a kiss from him. But Gwen knew not to think so stupidly. That was never going to happen.


	6. Six

_"I've Been Trying to Reach You_

_But My Extension Cord Doesn't Reach that Far_

_I've Been Waiting Patiently_

_The Indicator Light is Flashing On"_

**-_"Dear Child"_ by Anthony Green**

* * *

"Peter Parker," Aunt May said, wiping off the dining room table with a wet washcloth. "I don't know why you mope around here. Go out and do something! What ever happened to that pretty girl? You should hang out with her. I don't get what's so fun about just hanging out here by yourself in your room." She stopped her cleaning to look at her nephew sincerely. It was obvious that she was worrying about him. Peter hated her worrying. And it was worse when she would stay up at night, waiting for him to come home and then hovering over him until he went to bed. He knew it wouldn't be long before she caught on and learned that he was Spider-Man. Things were definitely getting complicated.

Peter shrugged and sat back in the wooden chair. "Me and her don't really talk. And I like being in my room by myself. I can get work done faster, then." He tried to sound so sure so he wouldn't make Aunt May worry more. But he knew that she would ask why him and Gwen didn't talk. And Peter didn't really have a lie for that one yet.

"She's so pretty, though. Why don't you two talk anymore? You should go out and get some friends, Peter. I hate seeing you sulk around here." Now Aunt May was going back into the kitchen to rinse off the washcloth. Then she went into the fridge to grab out the things she would need to make dinner. She glanced over at Peter, sighing a little bit. "You only have a few weeks left of your senior year, Peter. You should be making it count!"

He couldn't stand watching Aunt May get all worked up about it. Peter got up from the chair and walked to his room.

* * *

The next day at school, Peter walked in the hallway quickly. He was going to be on time, but then some guy decided to rob a bank and Peter, well Spider-Man, had to go stop him. Now he was definitely going to be late to his first class, which was English. The hallways were now emptying, making Peter feel rushed and panicked. Peter kicked it into high gear, almost running now. He could have used his skateboard, but with his luck his principal would have caught him and confiscated him like he promised to do just the week before. Peter then mentally cursed when he looked up at the clock that hung on the wall. There was only two minutes left to get to class, and Peter still had to climb the stairs to get to the second floor.

As he made the turn, someone crashed right into him. Peter's stuff fell to the ground, along with hers. When he looked up, his heart began to flutter and he almost fell over. It was Gwen. She was wide-eyed as she looked at him, then quickly bent down to grab her things. Peter joined her, attempting to help her but she shooed his hand away. Peter sat there, not being able to believe that she was actually right in front of him.

"Here, let me help you," Peter said calmly. Gwen didn't answer, only continued to shoo his hand away. Then she grabbed her stuff and quickly shuffled away from Peter. "Gwen!" He called out. Gwen only continued to walk away as quickly as she could, as if Peter had some kind of contagious disease.

* * *

After school, Peter walked up to his room quickly, closing the door and hitting the button on his desk that automatically locked his door. He then sat in the middle of his room, so overjoyed that he had seen Gwen right in front of him earlier that day. He replayed it multiple times in his head, but also wished that he would have said something else so she would have talked to him. He wanted to hear her soft, reassuring voice. It had been so long since he last heard it. Whenever Peter tried to call her she rejected the call, letting it go right to voicemail. He had now probably left a good five voicemails, all with the same hope; that she would finally call him back. Peter knew that he had led her to make the decision of never wanting to talk to him again. It was all his fault. Everything was always going to be his fault, with him being Spider-Man and living a double life.

Peter grabbed his phone out of his backpack, along with his textbooks that he would need to use for his homework. He opened up his science book to the first page, then realizing that his name was no longer in the corner of it. Instead, it read 'Gwen Stacy'. Peter sighed. How would he get this back to her if she refused to talk to him? Peter looked back at his phone, deciding that the only way he could even let her know that he had her textbook was to call her. Sighing, Peter punched in her number.

The phone only rung once. _"Peter, you have to stop calling me," _Gwen answered coldly.

"I have your textbook. Don't you want it back? "Cause I would like mine back." Peter tried to hide his frustration with Gwen.

"_Put it on my desk in Science tomorrow. I'll put yours on your desk." _The line went dead, then.

"Well," Peter whispered.

* * *

_Like you all requested, more action between the two! When I got the idea for this chapter I just had to immediately write it out. So I hope you all enjoyed chapter six._

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: Fanboy123, XxScarlettRosexX, Emily, KronosSlayer21, Nicci, NegligibleNaina, Pekt, and TwlightLove100. Thanks so much for keeping me motivated!(:_

_Remember to write something in that little box down there(:_


	7. Seven

"_I've been trying to reach you_

_But my extension cord wouldn't reach that far_

_I've been patiently waiting_

_The indicator light is flashing on"_

_**-"Dear Child" b**_**y Anthony Green**

* * *

Gwen walked into Science the next day and quickly walked over to Peter's empty seat. She set the textbook down on the wooden desk and retreated back to her desk. Right when she sat down Peter walked into the room, sneaking a peek at her. Gwen looked away quickly, not even wanting to make eye contact with him. When he held out the textbook to her, she snatched it out of his hands, sitting it down on the desk and not looking at him. For a few seconds Peter stood there, obviously trying to work up the nerve to say something to her. But when the bell rang and he realized how stupid he looked, Peter went back to his desk. Gwen watched him out of the corner of her eye. She felt so bad for being mean and rude to him. But she knew that just talking to him would only make her feel worse about the whole situation. She needed to block him out of her life forever. Even if it did kill her inside.

When lunch rolled around, Gwen walked outside towards the table where she usually sat at. The wind rustled her light blonde hair as she sat down on top of the table. She pulled a book out of her backpack, along with her sack lunch, and began to read and absentmindedly eat her red apple. After reading a good five pages, Gwen could hear a loud commotion coming from the other end of the courtyard. Most likely Flash or somebody else bullying a younger student. Sighting, Gwen got up from the table and rushed towards the big crowd. To her surprise, it wasn't Flash bullying someone. It was another one of the jocks that had Peter in a headlock. No one usually dared to bully Peter after the death of his uncle. This guy really had some guts. Gwen looked around and saw Flash standing in the crowd, not sure if he should help Peter or cheer on the bully.

"You think you're funny, Parker?" The teenager yelled in Peter's ears. He tightened the grip around Peter's neck, making his face go a beat red. "Maybe you'll think twice next time before talking back to me." Peter continued to choke in his grasp.

Gwen sighed, knowing that she had to do the right thing. She stepped into the middle of the crowd, staring the bully up and down. "Hey! Leave him alone." The boy looked a bit familiar. He was one of Flash's minions. Was his name Blake? It sounded right. "Leave Peter alone."

Blake smiled a bit and let go of Peter, who dropped to the ground and gasped for air. He then laughed in Gwen's face, teasing her and saying that Peter was her boyfriend. Then he walked away with his friends, slapping each other on the back's. Flash walked up to them, giving Peter an apologetic look, and then followed after his friends. The crowd then dispersed, leaving the two there with each other.

"You couldn't use your muscles for this one time?" Gwen asked, arching an eyebrow.

"They'd suspect something," Peter said hoarsely.

"You're so paranoid."

* * *

Gwen walked into her room after school, quickly shutting the door and pulling everything out of her bag. For a few minutes she stared at her notebook, not even wanting to do the homework that was assigned to her. She kept replaying in her mind when she saved Peter from the bully earlier that day. After she only spoke a few sentences, she left him there to gather his items and stumble off to class. Gwen wished that she would have said more, but she really just couldn't find the courage to do so. What was she to say, too? If she were to try and say anything it would end up being awkward. Gwen sighed, hating everything that was happening with her and Peter.

Her phone buzzed on her desk and Gwen stared at it for a few seconds. She slowly pressed the green button and put it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Hi," _Peter said over the line. _"I just wanted to say thanks for, you know, saving me from Blake today."_ His voice still sounded a bit raspy over the phone. Gwen could picture him sitting in the middle of his floor with a black eye or something.

"No problem. But I wouldn't of had to if you would have just used at least some of your strength. You already broke a backboard this year, so what would be the big deal?" Gwen sat back in her computer chair, running a hand through her short hair.

Peter didn't say anything for a few moments. _"Uncle Ben wouldn't have liked it if I fought back."_

"Right...sorry."

"_Nahh, it's alright. I really miss you, Gwen."_

It took Gwen a few moments to regain her breath and her wits. "I miss you too, Peter."

"_Things are gonna get better."_

* * *

_It's so amazing whenever reviews pour in for this story. It makes me feel so good(: And I'm like, "Whoaa! I better update right away!" So I hope you all liked chapter seven! And by the way, I broke my thumb (again) so now I have this big bulky brace on it. So it's kinda taking me a while to pop out a chapter, but hopefully I'll get used to this thing!_

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: Nicci, Fanboy123, Guest, Wholock's Worlock, XxScarlettRosexx, Guest, arinhellmelleide, MSainthill, Pektv, and Emily! You all keep me motivated to keep writing(:_

_Don't forget to write something in that little box down there(:_


	8. Eight

_"I've been trying to reach you_

_But my extension cord wouldn't reach that far_

_I've been patiently waiting_

_The indicator light is flashing on"_

**"Dear Child" by Anthony Green**_  
_

* * *

Peter swung around the city absentmindedly, thinking of only Gwen. Just the day before she had saved him from a bully named Blake. It reminded him of the time when Peter wasn't Spider-Man yet and she had saved him from Flash. The good old days when things weren't so complicated. He wished that things could go back to the way they were before the whole incident with the Lizard. Him and Gwen would be able be together, instead of barely even making eye contact with each other like they were now. And as Peter swung near Gwen's apartment building, he contemplated visiting her. But when he could hear screaming coming from below him, he remembered that he had a job to do and needed to go help those people.

He swung down near the middle of the city, seeing once again the Green Goblin harassing the citizens. Peter sighed and landed right in front of his glider that he stood on. He yelled out, "Goblin! Whatcha doin' back here? I thought I had you running for the hills after our last battle." Peter got his hands ready to shoot web at the Green Goblin. He had no idea where this villain had come from. Just one day Peter had been swinging through the city and he was just there trying to harass the NYPD. The Green Goblin had some pretty rough weapons, too. After their last battle Peter was bleeding from almost everywhere because of the razor-edged boomerangs he kept throwing in Peter's way. The Goblin also had a different version of those boomerangs that could easily electrocute Peter. Last time he was pretty good at dodging those, but also had a good few close calls.

"Spider-Man," The Green Goblin said in a crackling voice. It sent shivers down Peter's spine. "It really is great to see you again. You will never be able to get rid of me." In his hand he threw his razor-edged boomerang up in the air, then catching it. The Green Goblin had a gross green, scaly body that reminded Peter of the Lizard. He wore what looked to be a purple vest and a small purple hat sat on his head. "I'm going to take over this city."

"Not with me around," Peter threatened. He took a few steps back, knowing that the Goblin was getting ready to throw the boomerang at his side.

The Goblin cackled. "Then maybe I should do something about that." He then threw the boomerang like Peter predicted he would do. Peter jumped up in the air, doing a flip, and then landing gracefully on his feet. The Goblin cocked his head to the side, then throwing more of the boomerangs at him. Peter jumped and shot clumps of web at the Goblin, getting him in the sides and throwing him off balance a bit. Peter knew that all he had to do was get him off that glider and he would be helpless. Around him the citizens screamed and cheered Spider-Man on. Peter knew that if they stared there, the Goblin could use one of them as a hostage or throw his boomerangs into he crowd.

"Get back!" Peter yelled at the, waving a hand in the air. They slowly obeyed him, taking steps back and leaning against different buildings. Peter turned his attention back to the Goblin. He shot web up at the streetlight, flying forwards and towards the back of the Goblin. Clumps of webs were shot at him again, throwing the Goblin off balance once again. The Goblin threw two of his weapons over his shoulders, one just missing Peter by a few inches and the other one grazing him across his stomach. Peter was about to double over in pain, but he reminded him that it would only show weakness. "Fine, let's play dirty," Peter whispered to himself. Peter ran up to the Goblin, throwing a kick into his back and sending the glider flying near the crowing. People quickly dispersed from the area so no one would make contact with the ugly thing.

The Green Goblin got his balance back quickly. "You are going to ruin everything, Spider-Man!" He spat through his teeth. "Maybe you need a distraction." The Goblin then reached into the crowd, grabbing a blonde by the waist and pulling her up onto his glider. She protested in being up there, pushing against his chest and trying to jump down. Though, the Goblin was persistent and held her close to him. He then held out a razor-edged boomerang to her neck, laughing widely as she began to scream. "Take one more step and she's a goner."

Peter yelled out, "Put her down, Goblin! You don't need to hurt her." The girl looked so familiar, but it was hard to get a good look at her. He didn't dare taking another step, knowing that the Goblin would for sure drive the razor into her neck, killing her instantly. "Just...put her down." Peter put his hands up in the air, but secretly was getting ready to shoot web at the Goblin's face.

The Goblin smiled and said, "No problem, Spidey." He then threw the blonde onto the street, then chucking the boomerang at Peter's stomach. Peter had no time to even react, for the razor dug into his skin and knocked him off his feet. "You're weak," the Goblin whispered and then flew up towards the sky.

Peter stayed on the ground, trying to keep his composure. The pain was incredible, though. Blood oozed from his stomach and made him feel woozy. He wanted to try and get up, but his ribs and legs protested in such movement. His hands shook when he heard someone running up to him and putting her hands on his shoulders. She pushed him onto his back so he could try to regain his breath. Peter looked up at her, seeing just a small cut on her cheek. His heart then went into his stomach.

The girl was Gwen.

_No, no, no, _Peter thought to himself. _This was exactly why I chose to stay away from her._

"My God," he whispered. "Gwen. Are you okay? I'm so sorry." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, already panicking. Then, he quickly tried to stand up. Peter swayed on his feet and Gwen tried to keep him steady. "I-I need to go."

"You need to go to the hospital," Gwen whispered. Before she could stay anything more, Peter jumped up and began swinging through the city.

* * *

"Gwendolyn!" Gwen's mother exclaimed when she walked into the kitchen. She immediately began to hover over the terrified blonde that had bleeding cheek. Gwen's hand went to her face, totally forgetting about the cut she had. All that had been on her mind the whole walk back to her house was Peter. He had been seriously injured while fighting the Green Goblin, who had also taken her hostage for a few minutes. "What the heck happened? Did you trip and fall or something?"

Gwen nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, tripped over the curb. It's no big deal. I'll go to the bathroom and clean it in there." She exited the kitchen as fast as she could, walking into the bathroom and sitting down on the toilet seat. Instead of going for the first-aide kit, Gwen grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dialed Peter's number. She just had to know that he was okay. The phone rung once, twice, three times, and finally someone answered the phone.

"_Hello?" _It wasn't Peter's voice. The voice was a female one. It had to have been his Aunt May. _"If you're looking for Peter he's not here."_

"This is Gwen Stacy. Do you know where he is?" Gwen's hands shook as she looked down at them.

"_I had him to go the hospital for a deep gash he had on his stomach. Some idiot hit him with his car in the chaos with that ugly green guy that was harassing everyone. I'll let him know you called."_

The hospital.

Gwen quickly rinsed out her cut and headed for her room. She unlocked her window and jumped out, knowing that her mom would never approve of her visiting the hospital that late at night.

* * *

_Woo, longer chapter today! Hope you all liked the little twist I put in there._

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: Topaz Sky, Fanboy123, scifinerd4lyfe, XxScarlettRosexX, Emily, LEPrecon, Pektv, Nicci, JexxTheScribe, Wholock's Worlock, Guest, and TheKlutzHasArrived. That's fifteen reviews and it's absolutely amazing! I can't say thank-you enough. So keep the reviews coming so keep my motivation going!(:_


	9. Nine

"_a_ _quick glance over my shoulder reveals a number only seen in the movies _

_shards of glass, and a decayed piece of parchment half buried that reads: _

_'you cured me of my foolish obsession with love' _

_i'll love you until my last breath takes you from me"_

_**-"Expired in Goreville" **_**by Chiodos**

* * *

"He's right in there," the nurse said, pointing towards the room that Peter was laying in. Gwen nodded slowly and walked into the white room. Her heart began to beat quickly when she saw how hurt he was. An IV was in his hand, making her cringe. His face was bruised severely with some dried blood on his upper lip. Gwen forced a smile onto her face when she sat down in the seat next to him. He tried to smile, but winced when the bruises began to protest in the muscle movement.

"Hi," Gwen choked out. "Are you feeling okay?" Peter shrugged awkwardly, looking away from her. It was obvious that the whole thing with the Green Goblin using her against him was bothering him. She realized that the thing that Peter had feared actually came true. "I get it now," Gwen whispered. "Why you wanted to stay away from me. I'm sorry I didn't understand at first. But it's just not possible to stay away from you, Peter. We've been through so much with the Lizard and Oscorp, though. We can get through this too." Gwen leaned forwards in her chair, wanting to grab Peter's hand, but decided against it when he looked away more. "Talk to me."

Peter sighed, sitting up a bit and wincing. "The thing I feared happened today. I saw the girl I love being taken by the villain. Now you get why I promised your father I would stay away from you. Watching him die was hard enough. I now vow that as long as I'm trying to save the city, no one will die. It's not a thing that can happen." Peter looked into Gwen's eyes, a single tear dropping onto the hospital gown that he was wearing. "I'm just happy you're okay, though."

"I wish I could say the same about you." Gwen made a disgusted face when she looked back up at his bruised skin. "What did they do for you?"

"Well, they're gonna have to stitch up my stomach and they said I have a pretty bad concussion. But I can probably leave soon. Aunt May's gonna be here soon so she can release me." Peter leaned forwards, moving his index finger so Gwen would lean forwards too. He whispered in her ear, "I told them I got hit by some car during the chaos of the Green Goblin." Then he leaned back, winking at Gwen.

"Peter Parker, lying is a sin," Gwen joked. Peter then grabbed her hand, making her heart flutter.

"Go home," he said. "I'll call you when I'm back home, okay? Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Gwen, of course, never got that call. She worried all night long, wondering if something went wrong and he ended up being more hurt than they knew. Though, she also had to remind herself that Peter was always skipping out on calling. She should have been used to it. But all night she stared at her phone, hoping that it would vibrate and his name would show up on the caller ID. Of course, though, it never did and Gwen fell asleep very pissed off at him. She wanted to hate him so much, but she was never able to bring herself to do so.

Peter finally came back to school a few days after his 'accident'. His face was looking better, but walked with a little bit of a limp. Gwen watched him discreetly from her locker, hoping that he would walk over to her and pull her into a big hug. When he began to close his locker, Gwen grew angry and turned back to hers. She unlocked it, then stepping back when a note fell out of it. Slowly she bent down and picked it up, unfolding the little piece of paper. It read:

_This was why I kept that promise to your father. I planned on breaking it, but after watching him take you like that, I can't bring myself to do it now. Gwen, this is for your own safety. Please don't hate me for this._

_-Peter Parker (Bug-boy)_

Gwen crumpled up the note, then looked behind her. Peter wasn't at his locker anymore. She slammed her shut and blinked away tears.

* * *

_You probably all hate me now for writing this chapter. I have an alternate version for this chapter (not going to tell you what happened) but it just didn't feel right. Why would he break his promise after watching Gwen get taken by the Green Goblin? So this is what seemed most right. _

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: Wholock's Worlock, Fanboy123, Emily, Topaz Skye, Avalongirl55, KronosSlayer21, XxScarlettRosexX, Nicci, TheKlutzHasArrived, arinhelmelleide, SweetnessAfterDeath, and Guest. You guys all brought along this chapter. Remember to keep reviewing if you want me to me motivated to write another chapter(:_


	10. Ten

"_a_ _quick glance over my shoulder reveals a number only seen in the movies_

_shards of glass, and a decayed piece of parchment half buried that reads:_

_'you cured me of my foolish obsession with love'_

_i'll love you until my last breath takes you from me"_

_**-"Expired in Goreville" **_**by Chiodos**

* * *

Graduation day was coming up. Peter had been looking forward to this day since the first day of freshman year. He was excited to leave the school, the place where he had always been bullied. The school gave him terrible memories. Yet, it sometimes also gave him a few good memories. Like the time when Gwen saved him from getting the living crap beaten out of him by Flash. Or when she first talked to him. But he had to put all those memories behind him now. Graduation day was just around the corer and soon he could leave that hell-hole, start a new life. He wouldn't have to worry about being late to school because of Spider-Man. This was going to be _great._

Friday night Peter was sitting in his room, cleaning out his backpack. Just earlier that day he had cleaned out some of the garbage in his locker, since it was getting to the point where he couldn't open it without trash falling out. As he pulled things out of the backpack, he soon found an old picture that was sitting at the bottom. Confused, Peter grabbed it and tried his best to get a good look at it, since it was so wrinkled. The picture was of the debate team, the one he still had up on his computer monitor. He had totally forgotten about this picture. Right away he noticed Gwen in it.

The last time he talked to her was almost a month ago. Peter felt so bad about writing her that note, saying that there was no way he could break his promise now. He had been planning for a while to break the promise, but now it seemed like they were back to where they started a few months ago. Gwen stopped looking at him when she walked past his locker. Things were supposed to get better. But it seemed things were just getting worse.

Peter grabbed his phone that was sitting on his dresser and headed out of his room. Aunt May was cleaning up the kitchen and turned to Peter. She said, "Peter Parker, where do you think you're going this late at night?" Her hands went to her hips, an eyebrow arched. Peter wondered if it was worth it to lie to Aunt May. After all, he was just going to see someone.

"I'm on my way to a friend's house," Peter answered nonchalantly. "I'll be home in an hour or so, don't worry. And _please _don't wait up for me, Aunt May. I'll be alright." He gave her a sincere look, hoping that she wouldn't try to convince him that she needed to wait up for him all night. Before she could object, Peter was heading out of the door and towards the alleyway.

There, he climbed up one of the walls and up onto the rooftop. For a few minutes, Peter just stood up there, taking in the fresh air. Then, he jumped off the roof and began to swing through the city. In just a few minutes he was near the fire escape of Gwen's apartment. He began to climb up then stopped once he was a few levels down from her window.

Peter grabbed his phone out of his pocket and dialed Gwen's number. It rang twice before she finally answered.

"_I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me," _Gwen said right away. Peter pursed his lips when he heard how hurt she was.

"I never said that," Peter replied. "I said I needed to stay away from you in order to keep you safe. Never said I couldn't call you."

"_Whatever, Peter. I'm getting tired of waiting for you."_

"I'm sorry."

"_You've said that way too many times."_

Peter sighed and began to climb all the way up towards her window. He snuck a peak into her room. She was sitting in her chair, facing the computer monitor that sat on her desk. Peter just watched her as she ran a hand through her short blonde hair. He wanted so badly to build up the nerve to knock on the window. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"_You there?" _Gwen asked.

"Yeah, I'm here. And closer than you think."

Gwen turned around to face her window and Peter quickly moved out of the way so she wouldn't see him. He held his breath, hoping that she wouldn't open up the window. After waiting for a few minutes for good measure, he looked back into her room. She was facing the computer screen once again. Peter could see that she was looking through old photos from the school website. When a picture of Peter reading a book came up, Gwen kept the picture and just stared at it. Peter couldn't say anything. If he were to try and speak, nothing would come out. His hands shook as he placed a hand on the glass. Gwen then clicked the arrow to look at a different picture.

"_I should get going," _Gwen said.

"Yeah, me too. I've got extra homework to finish still."

"_See ya, bug-boy."_

* * *

_I'm a day late on updating this, sorry. My life has been so busy. I've got guitar lessons, dance lessons, youth group, and a whole bunch of other stuff. _

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: KronosSlayer21, XxScarlettRosexX, HerpDerp, SweetnessAfterDeath, TJM-Crow, xNothingEvenMattersx, LEPrecon, toolazytologin, TwilightLove100, and TJ. Thanks so much for keeping me motivated to keep writing this story. Keep reviewing if you want another chapter!_


	11. Eleven

_Whoa, I did not realize I hadn't updated this in a few days. But have no fear, here's a new chapter! I've also had some writers block with this, wondering how the rest of the chapters will be._

* * *

"_I've been to heaven, I've been to hell,_

_I've been to Vegas and God knows where_

_But nothing fees like home, like you, babe_

_I love you more than you'll ever know"_

"_**I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" **_**-Never Shout Never**

* * *

It was finally the day that Gwen had been waiting for. Graduation day. She was dressed in her black gown and cap and was standing outside with a group of her friends from the debate team. Her short blonde hair just brushed her shoulders and the wind was beginning to make her cap fall off her head. She held it in her hand tightly and listened to her friends' plans about what they were going to do now that they were graduated. Gwen was planning on going to college and study biology. Oscorp had a job waiting for her, even though Curt Conners wasn't there anymore. Finally, she was free from high school. She could forget about everything and move on with her life.

"Gwen?" Her friend, Maya, said. She snapped her fingers in front of Gwen's face. "You okay? You've barely said anything." A smile was on the bubbly girl's face. "We're graduated now! I thought you would be jumping for joy."

She quickly nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I'm so happy! Goodbye, high school!" Gwen forced a smile onto her face and a weak laugh escaped her chest. Her friends then went back to discussing what colleges they would be going to. Gwen turned her attention towards the entrance of the school, where Peter was standing with his Aunt May. It took all of her strength to keep still and not walk over to him to strike up a conversation with him. They hadn't talked in a month or so, and it was ultimately killing Gwen. But she just had to stay strong. She had to.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Grace asked her. Her face was sincere as she looked at Gwen. "Are you still upset about what happened with Peter Parker? What did happen with you guys anyways?"

The rest of her friends nodded in agreement, wanting Gwen to answer the questions.

"We just, uh, broke up," Gwen replied. "Or, he broke up with me. He was just going through a lot with his uncle dieing and he needed some time to think. But I-I respect that." She snuck another peak at Peter, her heart sinking into her stomach. A lump was forming in her throat and she tried to swallow it away.

"He doesn't know what he's missing!" Maya exclaimed. "Why don't you go over and talk to him? This is going to be the last time you will ever see him. Who knows? Maybe he'll want to get back together or something! Take a risk, Gwen." She then practically shooed Gwen over to Peter.

What was she supposed to say? Peter had strictly said that he wasn't ever going to talk to her again. Her hands shook as Peter looked at her, then told Aunt May that he would meet her over by the car. Gwen just stood there, not sure what she was supposed to say. Peter smiled at her awkwardly, taking off his cap and taking a few steps closer to her. Gwen really wanted to just pull him into a hug, but she knew she couldn't. Her lower lip began to tremble and she looked down at the ground.

_Don't be such a baby,_ she thought to herself. _Don't freaking cry._

"Can I help you?" Peter asked in a quiet tone. He moved his head to the side and lowered it so he could look at Gwen's face. "Hey, what's up?"

"We need to talk," Gwen said coldly. "Peter, you really hurt me. I've told you that many times, but you never seemed to listen to me. I'll give you an ultimatum. Either we start talking again, or I delete and block your number from my phone. Which is it?"

* * *

_You all are going to hate me for the cliffie. _

_Shout-out to all the reviewers: TJ, KronosSlayer21, LEPrecon, TwilightLove100, Wholocks' Worlock, HerpDerp, TJM-Crow, oceanweasly, SweetnessAfterDeath, and whirlwindmaze. Thanks so much to all of you! It's amazing getting all these reviews!_

_While you're waiting for me to update, check out my new Spider-Man fic called Yeah Boy and Doll Face. Another Peter/Gwen one that I'm sure you all with love!_

_Make sure to take a look at my Tumblr! Link is up at my profile! You can click the Ask button and leave me a prompt, and you don't even have to have an account!_


	12. Twelve

"_You're gone, gone, gone away_

_I watched you disappear._

_All that's left is a ghost of you._

_Now we're torn, torn, torn apart,_

_There's nothing we can do,_

_Just let me go, we'll meet again soon." _

"_**Little Talks" **_**-Of Monsters and Men**

* * *

How could Gwen expect him to choose? All he wanted was for her to be safe. He still loved her. Peter couldn't choose. It was either he stays with her, or she deletes his number and blocks him forever. That meant he would never be able to call her again if he chose to stay away from her. Peter stared into her blue eyes, almost getting lost in them. He had to think of what was more important. Her safety or just being with her? Gwen gave him a hard look, waiting for him to make up his mind. He just needed more time to think.

"G-Gwen," Peter said slowly. "You can't expect me to pick right now." He ran a hand through his brown messy hair, looking up at the sky and then at the green ground, wanting to avoid her eyes. Her soft ocean eyes would only make his decision harder. "You know that I just can't pick. I still need to hear your voice, Gwen."

"Make a decision," Gwen said, blinking back tears. Peter hated seeing her cry. He wanted to wipe away her tears, but he kept his arms restricted to his sides. "I can't keep waiting for you like this, Peter. It's just not healthy. Make a decision, please."

Peter took a deep breath. He had to choose the obvious choice. "Gwen, I-I'm sorry. Goodbye."

Gwen shook her head and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Peter wanted to just hug her and tell her everything would be okay. But he just couldn't. He didn't ever want to relive what had happened a couple months ago when the Green Goblin took her and used her against him. What if she were to die because of him? Peter would never be able to live with himself if that were to happen. Why couldn't Gwen just understand that? Peter was trying to keep her _safe. _He wanted her to be able to live a normal life and never have to worry about those kinds of things. But it seemed Gwen just couldn't understand that.

Peter watched as she turned and walked away. All he wanted to do was run after her and kiss her right on the lips and just forget about everything else. He kept his feet glued to the ground, though. Peter sighed and watched Aunt May march over to him.

"What did you say to her?" Aunt May asked. "She looked so upset! She's very pretty, Peter. What ever happened between you two? You could use a girlfriend, Peter. All you do is stay cooped up in your room. You need to go out and do something."

Peter ignored his aunt and just walked to the car, wondering if he would ever be able to fix this.

…

Summer came and Peter spent most of his days at the warehouse. He stayed up in the rafters, just staring up at the ceiling and thinking about almost anything. Well, the person that was on his mind most of the time was Gwen Stacy. She never left his mind. Gwen was the first thing he thought about in the morning and the last thing that lingered through his mind before he drifted off to sleep. A few times Peter saw her wandering around town, either by herself or with her friends. And each time he scurried out of her sight so she wouldn't see him and think about the memories with him and her. Peter didn't want her to be sad again.

Peter played with his web-shooters, taking one off his wrist and just fumbling with it. A few times he shot different webs across the warehouse, making it kind of his own spider hideout. No one ever came around to the warehouse, so it wasn't a big deal. There was graffiti on the walls, too. Many people liked to draw Spider-Man's symbol on the walls, which always put a smile on Peter's face. And it kept him motivated to keep saving the city from different villains and monsters.

He heard the distant echo of someone walking into the warehouse, their heels clicking on the grey concrete. Peter moved forwards on the rafters, wondering who found his hideout. When Peter saw her blonde hair, he silently cursed to himself and climbed up higher on the rafters. What was she even doing here? Had she followed him? Peter didn't want to ask her. He just needed to get out of there, and fast. Peter climbed up onto the ceiling, moving towards the dark corner and climbing discreetly towards the doors of the warehouse.

When he got towards the next corner and was just a few feet away from the doors, he heard her call his name out. Peter was caught. For a few seconds he was frozen, his eyes shut and his lips pursed. He bit his cheek and then climbed out of the warehouse and towards the rooftop.

* * *

_Please forgive me for taking a bit to update. And you all probably now hate Peter for making that decision. _

_Shout-out to all my reviewers: SweetnessAfterDeath, TJ, HerpDerp, LEPrecon, KronosSlayer21, Guest, Pwny, Xana Vlec, Mockingjaypin1224, Wholock's Worlock, sallysally, and DreamOrNightmare. We hit over 100 reviews guys! That's fantastic! And thanks again to Xana Vlec for helping me plan out the rest of the chapters(:_

_Don't forget to check out my other Peter/Gwen fic, Yeah Boy and Doll Face. It would be oh-so terrific if you guys gave me some love on that(:_


	13. Thirteen

"_How am I supposed to be everything they expect me to be?_

_When I feel so alone, because I left my heart at home._

_And she needs me, but I know they need me too,_

_So God, give me the strength to do what you created me to do"_

"_**Miles Away" -**_**Memphis May Fire**

* * *

Another bank robbery. Peter was really getting tired of these. It seemed to be the only thing that was keeping Spider-Man busy all summer. He hadn't caught the guy yet, but Peter really planning on doing it soon. He was tired of going out every afternoon and having to fight this stupid guy over and over again. How had he not been able to catch him yet? It was making Spider-Man look stupid, and his failures were all over the newspaper and news on TV. But the reason why he wasn't quite on his game, was because he didn't quite have his head in the game. Peter wasn't quite sure why he was doing terrible at his job. Just since he graduated high school he wasn't quite in the mood to be saving the city from every villain possible. Aunt May was beginning to think he was depressed, but Peter wouldn't quite go that far with it. He just needed motivation.

As Peter swung towards the bank, he could see a girl with blonde hair walking in the street. Peter looked more closely at her and noticed it was Gwen. She was heading right towards the outside of the bank where the shooting was. Peter needed to warn her, but he couldn't just go over there and talk to her. Peter looked around for a payphone. He swung down towards one and looked around on the ground for a quarter. He found one near a gutter and put it into the payphone, dialing Gwen's number as quickly as he could.

"_Um, hello?" _Gwen asked skeptically. Oh, it felt so good to hear her voice!

"Gwen! This is Peter. I know you don't want to talk to me anymore, but I just had to warn you of something. Don't go near the bank that's just down the street. There's a shooting and you're gonna get hurt if you go there. Stay away, Gwen. Got it?"

"_Yeah, Peter."_

He hung up the phone and swung towards the bank.

…

Gwen looked down at her phone after Peter had hung up. She wanted to be so pissed at him for talking to her, yet she knew that he just wanted her to stay away from the bank where the awful shooting was. She continued to walk down the street and towards the bank, just because her curiosity was leading her there. Gwen kept towards the wall, so she wouldn't be near the shooting at all. Quickly, she looked around for Peter. A smile went to her face when she saw him swinging towards the shooting and kicking guys down while doing so.

"Go bug-boy," Gwen whispered. She continued to watch him take down each guy, and she didn't quite realize that she was inching towards the shooting. Gwen kept her eyes locked on Peter, just hoping that he would be okay. Now she was just across the street from it all and heard distant screaming as the men kept shooting into the crowd with bags of money in their hands. Gwen wasn't really scared. She just kept watching Peter.

Peter was shot at, a bullet breaking the web he was swinging on, and he went crashing to the ground. Gwen couldn't help but yell out to him. "No! Get up, Spider-Man!" Peter got up slowly and looked over at Gwen. She smiled to herself when she realized that Peter was going to be angry with her for showing up. But she was safe, it was alright.

One of the guys with a ski mask on his face pointed a gun towards the crowd Gwen was standing with. There was no time for her to move, for a bullet passed right into her thigh. For a few seconds she didn't quite feel pain. Her leg just gave out, and she fell to her side. Around her, she could hear screaming, and the men running down the street. Soon the pain was entering her leg, and Gwen bit her cheek so she wouldn't cry out. She took deep breaths and tried to keep her cool. The crowd was beginning to back away from her as police officers began to run towards her.

Gwen was rolled over onto her back, and she could see a red figure running to her side. He told the police to just back away for a second, and the officers began to back the crowd away. Peter pulled off his mask and caressed Gwen's face in his hands. Slowly he said, "Gwen, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It was my fault," Gwen choked out. "I just wanted to watch you to make sure you would be okay. _I'm _sorry."

"You're gonna be okay, alright? I'm sorry about everything, okay?"

"Can I see you later?" Gwen asked, acting as if she weren't hurt at all.

"Of course. How about I give you a ride around the city? Would your mom be okay with you being out late?" He smiled down at her.

"She won't care," Gwen answered slowly. "Now go, bug-boy."

"See ya, blondie. Oh, promise me one thing."

"Sure."

"Don't die on me, please."

* * *

_So sweet chapter, huh? You all better love me for this one._

_Shout-out to all the reviewers: sallysally, SweetnessAfterDeath, Pwny, Wholock's Worlock, TwilightLove100, Xana Vlec, sarahberah1121, HerpDerp, KronosSlayer21, TJM-Crow, and domonique woods. I love all of you guys. And thanks to everyone who added this to their alerts and favorites. -Internet hug-_

_So, uh, the end?_


	14. Epilogue

"_A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven__"_

_**A Drop in the Ocean **_**by Ron Pope and the District**

* * *

"I don't like these shorts," Gwen complained inside the dressing room. Peter groaned and brought his head back so it was resting on the wall. The uncomfortable bench that he was sitting on was beginning to make his tailbone hurt and he had played every single game on his phone while waiting for his girlfriend to find the right clothes. He impatiently checked his watch, groaning again when he realized that he had been waiting for a good twenty minutes. Every time she came out with a new outfit, Peter told her that she looked great. But there was always something wrong with it and tried on something different. Why did he even agree to do this with her?

"What's wrong with those?" Peter asked when she walked out of the dressing room. They were white jean shorts that made her legs look good in Peter's opinion. But she really just wasn't listening. "I like those shorts. You look good, Gwen." She rolled her eyes and threw her head back. "What? It's the truth. Why can't you just find a pair of shorts and be done with it?"

She sighed. "It's this stupid scar. It's absolutely disgusting and gross looking." Peter looked at her left thigh. There was a faint pale circle where the bullet had entered just a few weeks ago. Gwen had been obsessing over it and getting upset whenever she wore shorts or a dress. It really wasn't that noticeable, though.

"You can barely notice it," Peter said quietly. "And it just makes you unique. Besides, I think it's pretty cool. You can go around and tell people that you got shot and survived the whole thing." He gave her a light smile, but it didn't seem to make her feel any better.

"It wasn't even that big of a deal," Gwen said. "Only minor surgery to get the stupid bullet out."

"Hey, I warned you to stay away from there. But no one listens to me."

"Oh, shut up."

Gwen retreated back to the dressing room and Peter began to stomp his feet on the ground like an immature child while yelling her name in an over exaggerated way. He knew that she could only take so much of that and would soon give up on finding the right shorts and just settle for the ones that she had already tried on. Peter smiled when she yelled at him to shut up multiple times. A few times she even threw hangers at him to be quiet. But he continued his chant until she quickly walked out of the dressing room with hangers and clothes in each hand.

"Finally," Peter mumbled. Gwen rolled her eyes and sat next to Peter on the wooden bench. He put an arm around her waist as she leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. "You know, I should be terrified about being with you still." Gwen raised an eyebrow. "But, I'm just happy you're okay. Do you know how much you freaked me out when all that blood was gushing out of your thigh? I thought you were going to bleed to death."

Gwen said, "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't listen to you, though. We wouldn't be together if I never would have gotten shot."

Peter shook his head with a chuckle. "I almost lost you. And I never want that to happen again. We're gonna have to be careful."

"Careful is my middle name."

"Said the person who got shot at a bank robbery."

Gwen gave him a pouting look, but Peter just smiled and leaned into press his lips against hers. Peter loved kissing Gwen, and he wondered how for so long he was able to go without seeing her for multiple weeks. All he knew then was that he just wanted to enjoy his time with Gwen. There was always going to be a chance that one of them got hurt. But, he wasn't going to worry about it yet. Peter was going to live in the present, not the future. He was going to spend his days with the one he loved for a long time.

_-The End-_

* * *

_I decided to write an epilogue. The story is finally done and I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks so much to everyone who stuck with me throughout this whole thing. When I first published this story, I didn't expect so many people to like this so much. Just know that I love all of you! I've got some more Spider-Man fics in the works, so keep an eye out for them!_

_Shout-out to the reviewers for last chapter: sarahberah1121, sallysally, KronosSlayer21, xonatcat123, DarthZ, Stenique, DreamOrNightmare, Xana Vlec, SweetnessAfterDeath, RonRon10, and TJM-Crow._

_Thanks again, guys! There might or might not be a spin-off to this, but just keep a look out! _


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